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When someone dies, there are so many questions—from what to do in the moment of grief, to dealing with the practical details of the funeral, to spiritual concerns about the meaning of life and death. This indispensable guide to Jewish mourning and comfort provides traditional and modern insights into every aspect of loss. In a new, easy-to-use format, this classic resource is full of wise advice to help you cope with death and comfort others when they are bereaved.

Dr. Ron Wolfson takes you step by step through the mourning process, including the specifics of funeral preparations, preparing the home and family to sit shiva, and visiting the grave. Special sections deal with helping young children grieve, mourning the death of an infant or child, and more.

Wolfson captures the poignant stories of people in all stages of grieving—children, spouses, parents, rabbis, friends, non-Jews—and provides new strategies for reinvigorating and transforming the Jewish ways we mourn, grieve, remember, and carry on with our lives after the death of a loved one.

“Captures the best in Judaism’s approach. It is honest, tender, and wise. A Time to Mourn, a Time to Comfort speaks in many voices, the voices of those who have endured grief, the voices of rabbis who deal daily with tragedy, the voices of those who are spiritual searching, and the voices of those who have found their one path through dark times.”

—Rabbi David J. Wolpe, from the Foreword

“When a loved one dies, an emotional chaos ensues. As if in a whirlwind, one is buffeted by a bevy of conflicting emotions including anger, pain, relief, and guilt. Jewish tradition offers mourners a structure for dealing with those emotions and a guide through the chaos. It also offers the community around the mourner a means to reaching out to comfort those in pain. Ron Wolfson’s A Time to Mourn, a Time to Comfort constitutes a sensitive and perceptive guide to that tradition. Both those who mourn and those who comfort will find it a map to accompany them through the whirlwind.

The Art of Jewish Living, a project of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs and the University of Judaism, is a series of books designed for adults and families seeking to enter into the center of Jewish life. Each features real Jewish families reflecting on their experiences with Jewish practice, along with detailed information and instruction on the performance and meaning of Jewish celebration.